Transformers Prime: Shockwave Rises
by Bigby the Big Bad Wolf
Summary: Sequel to Transformers Prime: Dawn of the Dinobots. The Dinobots and Team Prime continue their battle against the combined forces of Megatron and Shockwave. Collaborated with SpartanCommander, Kamen Rider Chrome, and Pyromania101. Story to be remade.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Transformers does not belong to me.**

**Well everyone, here it is. Shockwave Rises is finally here. Special thanks to SpartanCommander for his collaboration with this story. Sorry for taking so long everyone. Anyway, I must admit that I was shocked when I learned that Predacons would be appearing in Transformers Prime. But, these Predacons are nothing like the G1 characters. Think I might be able to put those Predacons in with my Predacons. I could imagine the two Predakings battling each other. But I digress. Now on with the story.**

**Shockwave Rises: **

**Prologue**

The Autobots all watched anxiously as Ratchet continued his repair work on the Dinobots. Fortunately he had managed to patch Snarl up. While still in need of recovering from his wounds, Snarl was at least capable of helping Ratchet repair his teammates. The two of them were starting on Slag, who was in shut down mode so as to make the repairs easier.

"Question," Snarl asked as he removed shrapnels from Slag's body. "Starscream blows the Apex Armor from the inside, right? Then why the scrap didn't _he _blow up?!"

"Starscream is quite resilient," Ratchet admitted. "Many Autobots speculated that he has some unexplained ability to survive even the worst conditions."

"Makes me think of a cockroach," Arcee mumbled dryly.

"Cockroach?"

"Disgusting Earth insects said to survive some of the worst injuries." She smirked. "Suits Starscream pretty well."

Bulkhead and Bumblebee both chuckled and even Ratchet allowed himself a small smirk. Optimus was too busy contemplating to give any kind of reaction.

"Something wrong, Optimus?" Smokescreen asked, noticing his idol.

"Merely concerned, Smokescreen," Optimus answered. "The Dinobots will be out of commission for some time now."

"Which means we lost about half our team," Arcee figured.

"And with so many Cons here, that's not good," Bulkhead added. The base became quiet as Ratchet and Snarl silently continued repairing the others. Deciding to try and start a conversation "Say, isn't it about time we picked Miko and them up?"

"Right," Arcee said as she and Bumblebee started heading toward the exit. However, Optimus blocked their path.

"The two of you are still injured. Even picking up Jack and Rafael would not be advised."

"You mean we can't even just pick the kids up?" Arcee asked incredulously. Sure she and Bee were injured but it was nothing _that_ serious.

"While your injuries are minor, I don't want you to put any further strain on them until Ratchet has had a look at you. Smokescreen," Optimus addressed their newest member. "May you accompany Bulkhead to pick up the children?"

Smokescreen smiled. "Sure, thing.

"Is…June coming too?"

Everyone's attention was on Sludge, who had regained consciousness some time ago. Like Grimlock, Sludge insisted on his teammates being worked on first.

Grimlock looked at Sludge suspiciously. "What do you want _her_ here for?"

"I liked her being here," Sludge admitted. "She was nice."

Grimlock didn't reply instantly. He had heard more about June from the other Autobots. Apparently she was extremely overprotective, flew off the handle whenever the slightest thing happened to the children, and was quick to blame the Autobots when they didn't even mean to. Did the woman not understand there was a _war_ going on? She should be grateful the Autobots even bothered to protect the humans. Still, she apparently got on Sludge's good side.

"Fine," Grimlock conceded. Sludge smiled.

"We'll have to see if she's available," Optimus told them. "She might be busy."

"We'll be back," Bulkhead called. He and Smokescreen transformed. Arcee noticed that Smokescreen transformed into a fancy looking sports car with a large 38 on the side as they raced out of the base. She rolled her optics.

"Somebody should have explained the whole "low profile" thing to him,"

Grimlock shook his head. He had met some recruits who didn't understand the seriousness of the situation before but this was ridiculous. That Smokescreen saw this as some game.

"We're not exactly low profile either," Snarl reminded Arcee. "In fact, we're even less low profile than Smokescreen is."

"Snarl, focus!" Ratchet snapped after removing another scrapel and patching up the wound. "I don't want to push any of these further into Slag than they already are!"

Snarl grumbled in annoyance as he resumed assisting Ratchet.

"Will you be able to reattach Swoop's wing?" Sludge asked Ratchet, looking back and forth between his teammate and said broken appendage.

"It should be possible but the procedure will require delicate precision. The tricky part is making sure that Swoop will still be able to fly with the wing."

"I am confident in your abilities, old friend," Optimus reassured Ratchet.

"Snarl too," Sludge added.

Optimus nodded. "Snarl too."

"Once we have taken care of Slag, we should be able to divide patching everyone else up," Ratchet assured them. "Having an extra medic is most helpful."

Sludge grinned. "Which means we'll be getting back to trashing Cons sooner!"

"No promises, Sludge, but I'll see what I can do." Snarl told him.

Optimus noticed Grimlock being quite silent. "Something wrong, Grimlock?"

Grimlock looked up at Optimus. "Starscream did this. _Starscream_, of all cons, did this!"

Snarl and Sludge cringed. "Grimlock, calm down!"

"Starscream, the most pathetic, backstabbing, cowardly, little scrapheap of the entire Decepticon army, was able to make me and my team look like fools!"

Optimus was instantly on guard. Apparently Grimlock still had some anger left over from the recent events and couldn't hold it in anymore. Something had to be done and fast.

But he didn't need to. Sludge quickly ran over and got Grimlock in a lock from behind.

"Let me go!" Grimlock growled as he tried to fight his teammate off. But Sludge held on tightly, straining against his injuries and Grimlock's impressive strength.

"We need to calm him down, now!" Snarl cried as he ran over to join Sludge. With surprising agility for one who just recently recovered from deadly injuries, Snarl struck Grimlock in the area of his wound. Unexpectedly, Grimlock shuttered for a moment and then slumped in Sludge's arms. The bigger Dinobot gently lowered Grimlock.

"What was that all about?" Arcee asked, surprised as was every non-Dinobot in the base.

"I struck one of his exposed energy relays that fed into his lower body regions. It caused his systems to mistake the strike for an energon interruption and forced Grimlock's body to do an emergency system restart. In his condition he had no way of preventing this but if he was in any better shape Grimlock would have been able to prevent the restart. I'll keep him shut down until we can fully repair his systems."

"Was that really necessary?" Ratchet asked, though he couldn't help but be impressed by Snarl's knowledge of vital areas. Apparently he had underestimated the Dinobots' skills at anything other than combat.

"It was," Snarl admitted. "If Grimlock got angry enough, he probably would have transformed again. Aside worsening his injuries, any attempts to calm him down would've probably gotten this base reduced to slag in minutes. When Grimlock's angry...he's really hard to calm down."

"Really?" Arcee asked. "But he seemed coherent enough those other times we saw him in his dino mode."

"Arcee, we've put up with Grimlock's berserk anger for cycles so I know from experience," Snarl told her. "You all should consider yourselves lucky that Grimlock hasn't given into his anger like he used to. But something tells me it's only a matter of time before his temper starts getting the better of him again. And when that happens...you better pray to Primus we're all as far away from Grimlock as we possibly can."

That left the base with a very ominous atmosphere. Was Grimlock really_ that_ destructive in his t-rex form? Optimus always knew Grimlock had great issues with his anger but had the experiments done to him increased it to such great lengths? Optimus wasn't certain but he really didn't want to find out.

* * *

"You're certain about this?" Ratbat asked Shockwave cautiously.

"My findings are not yet 100% accurate but they are substantial enough to take things into consideration." Shockwave replied to his co-conspirator.

"So...should we have Airachnid offlined on sight? Or bring her here for further examination?"

"Further research into this could prove most useful," Shockwave concluded. "Though it would be more suitable to assign this task to the Predacons once Razorclaw has fully recuperated. As of this moment, no Insecticons are to go anywhere near Airachnid. I shall inform Megatron that all Insecticons need to be placed under close surveillance and that necessary measures need to be taken."

Ratbat frowned. "That serious?"

Shockwave turned his head and the former Senator found himself unnerved by that eye looming at him. "Completely."

"Knockout will be pleased to hear that. Honestly, when he's not bragging about some new paint job, he's gripping about the Insecticons."

"I am not concerned with Knockout's grumbling," Shockwave said as he looked at his computer. "I have far more important things to be concerned about right now."

* * *

At the Harbinger, Starscream was making his own moves.

As the former 2nd in command of the Decepticons worked on the computer systems inside the downed freighter, Starscream started to voice his thougts out loud with smirk of anxious glee.

"Now let's see. I've recorded on board memory files from Megatron's rant about Dark Energon and then him stabbing himself with a shard...if that doesn't surprise Shockwave I don't think anything will." He said, "Now a few files where Megatron's orders endanger the mission and...he he he...Let's not forget the video transmission I got from a security camera on the old Space bridge. I think Shockwave would find it most 'fascinating' that our illustrious leader fly's right to an exploding space bridge just to reach out to an army of zombified Decepticons."

Starscream continued to download and transfer every file he had on Megatron's questionable orders and actions when he arrived on Earth. Starscream did however decide to transfer almsot all info on Megatron's actions when he enacted his Dark energon plan and this was only small part of the data he had. Starscream had to admit giving Shockwave info that could compramize Megatron gave the Seeker some dark mirth.

And also

Starscream felt smug as he examined the chunk of red energon. "Oh poor, Grimlock. Not only did I best you and your entire team, but I managed to obtain all the red energon. It would seem the tales of your group's exploits were obviously..._exaggerated._" He had gotten his hands on red energon, had a plan to bring Shockwave to his side, and single-handedly bested five of the Autobots' greatest warriors. Everything was looking up for Starscream. He was in such a good mood that he didn't even mind his other hand, which was sparking and throbbing in pain due to it being the one he blew the Apex Armor up with.

* * *

Back at the Autobot base, everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of car horns. Bulkhead and Smokescreen drove back in. Miko hopped out of Bulkhead while Jack and Raf left Smokescreen. Once the kids were out, the two bots transformed.

"Hey, Arcee," Jack said as he walked over to his partner.

Arcee gave him a light smile. "Hey, Jack."

"Hey, Bee," Raf greeted his own partner. "How you feeling?"

Bumblebee beeped, explaining that while he felt a little sore in some place, and his joints ached, he was fine.

"Hey, what's up with Grimlock?" Miko asked, spotting the unconscious Dinobot leader.

"We believed it was best to keep Grimlock in shut down mode for the time being." Ratchet explained. "The last thing we need is him going on the warpath in his, and everyone else's condition."

"I've patched Slag up as best I could," Snarl said, moving away from his teammate. "All that's left for him to do is rest. Alright, Sludge. Let's take a look at you."

Sludge nodded and lowered himself down so that Snarl could start operating on him. Ratchet went over to Bumblebee and Arcee.

"Alright, you two. While Snarl is working on the other Dinobots, I'll start on you." Arcee and Bumblebee nodded as they went over to Ratchet for examination. "Once I'm done with you two and Snarl is done with Sludge, the two of use will start on Swoop and Grimlock."

Jack looked over at Swoop, looking back and forth between Swoop's unconscious body, still in dino mode, and the severed wing. He was sure that, to a flyer, losing a wing was painful. And...he become quite fond of the Dinobot. He really hoped Swoop would still be able to fly. He looked over at Arcee, who was also looking at Swoop, guilt evident on her face. Jack wasn't sure what had happened but apparently Arcee blamed herself.

"Are you guys gonna be alright?" Miko asked. "I want to see the Dinobots in action again."

Snarl rolled his optics and Ratchet let out a small groan.

"With two medics on the job, we should be able to fix them up very quickly," Ratchet replied. "However, that doesn't meant they should immediately go back into battle just to get injured again."

"But that leaves only Optimus, Bulkhead and Smokescreen against all those Decepticons," Raf spoke.

"Hey! Bulkhead can take on any of those Cons with one hand tied behind his back!" Miko argued.

"Uh...I'm gonna go with Raf on this one, Miko. Sure I can handle plenty of those Cons but they've got us outnumbered and outgunned."

"And that's not all," Jack gained everyone's attention. "With both Arcee and Bumblebee out...what about me and Raf?"

Optimus pondered this predicament. Indeed, until Arcee and Bumblebee were cleared by Ratchet, someone else would have to watch over Jack and Raf. While they did have Smokescreen, he was just one bot. It would be too much of a task to assign him to be guardian of both children. Smokescreen still had much to learn about Earth and humans, plus he wouldn't always be able to watch over both of them at the same time.

"Hey!" Snarl barked. "How about you guys go plan somewhere else. I need to focus on fixing my team up and all your talking is distracting me."

Everyone was taken aback but Snarl's snapping.

"Rude much?" Arcee asked but Ratchet, who was used to commotion in the medical wards back on Cybertron, only gave them a glance before getting back to examining Bumblebee.

"Fine. Don't blame me if Swoop's wing gets put on backwards. You all continue talking amongst yourselves."

Arcee flinched. She didn't know if Snarl using Swoop as his example was intentional but it sure drove the point home.

"You're sure in a talkative mood," Miko noticed. "And here I thought you were the quiet one."

"Snarl's always like this when it comes to repairing us," Sludge explained. "We get plenty of injuries but we always dish out worse than they can."

Ratchet nodded. "With some of the more rowdy patients we medics have, it's actually quite normal behavior."

"Sludge, I'm gonna need you to be quiet for a moment," Snarl ordered his larger friend. "I can't examine your wounds right with you moving around."

Sludge nodded and held still so Snarl could get a better look at him.

"Bedside manner could use some improvement," Jack whispered to the others, causing Raf and Miko to hold back their laughter.

Optimus motioned for everyone else to move out of the room to give the two medics some space. Once Optimus was certain they were far away enough, he resumed their conversation.

"It appears we do face a difficult problem. For the time being, Smokescreen can be assigned to either Rafael or Jack. Though this would still leave one of you without a guardian."

Jack and Raf looked at each other. They didn't mind Smokescreen but they weren't sure if each other wanted to be partnered with him instead.

"You can have him if you want, Raf," Jack offered kindly.

Raf looked at Smokescreen. The Autobot didn't really understand the situation but he was obviously eager to help. Raf gave a small smile. Ah well. It probably wouldn't be long before Bumblebee was all better.

"Sure."

Optimus nodded. "Very well, then. Smokescreen for the time being, you will be Raf's guardian."

Smokescreen saluted. "I won't let you done, Optimus!"

Raf hoped he was doing the right thing while Jack hoped he hadn't made a mistake by offering Raf as Smokescreen's partner.

"Now, all that is left is you, Jack," Optimus said, looking at the teenager.

"Hey, it's cool, Optimus. I'm sure I can go a few days without Arcee."

"Given how many Decepticons we are up against now, that is a chance I am not willing to take." Optimus told him solemnly. "Until Arcee and Bumblebee are fully recovered, _I _will be your guardian."

Everyone else's jaws hung open at this announcement. Miko, predictably, was the first to recover.

"Dude! You get the boss bot as your guardian! How cool is that?!"

Jack took a moment longer to get his wits together. "Are you sure, Optimus? I mean, I don't want to, I don't know, get in the way of anything."

"Now doubt Megatron has told Shockwave of your affiliations with us. I know Shockwave. He would not hesitate to harm you to get to us. Your protection is of the utmost importance, Jack."

Jack let this all sink in. Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, was willing to be his guardian. This, this was really an honor.

Back in the main part of the base, Ratchet had finished his examination on Bumblebee.

"You appear to have some sustained minor external and internal injuries. Nothing that can't be repaired but putting too much strain would have dire consequences in the future. You both should consider yourselves lucky."

"We know," Arcee muttered. She didn't like being reminded that they got off well compared to the rest of the team.

"I've checked over Sludge's injuries and he should be good once he's patched up and rested. All that's left now is Grimlock and Swoop."

Bumblebee beeped, voicing his concern about Grimlock.

"Yeah, something tells me Grimlock's not gonna be happy when he comes back online." Arcee figured.

"Leave that to me," Snarl told her. "I've put up with the boss long enough to deal with his temper."

"I'll get Swoop's wing," Ratchet said. But just as he went to get the wing, he spotted something out of the corner of his optic. Was it his imagination or was there something on the computer? Turning around to make sure, what he saw left him with only thing to say:

"Scrap!"

**End of Prologue**

**Well, everyone, that concludes the prologue to the sequel of Dawn of the Dinobots. In the next chapter, Team Prime discovers a signal coming from a fellow Autobot. But their comrade is in an area known of them suspected. Who is this new Autobot? Can the Team hold out with so few members? Will Starscream succeed in forming an alliance with Shockwave? And what has Airachnid done that has Shockwave so interested in her? Will Swoop and Arcee finally get together? And what about Sludge's newfound liking to June? Find it all out in Transformers Prime: Shockwave Rises!**


	2. Lunar Showdown part 1

**Disclaimer: Transformers Prime does not belong to me.**

**Well, everyone. Here is the next part to Shockwave Rises. You finally see the Autobot who's going to appear now. I hope you're ready for who Team Prime will encounter. I would like to thank SpartanCommander, Kamen Rider Chrome, and Pyromania101 for their help in making this chapter.**

**Meanwhile, I've finished Rage of the Dinobots. The Dinobots have come out alright but now I've discovered there is going to be a Beast Hunters comic. Don't know what fate will await the Dinobots or even if they appear in Transformers Prime's third season. I really hope they do and don't do anything wrong to the Dinobots. I mean, in the IDW comics, Grimlock is, at the moment, partially brain dead due to torture he suffered. Sometimes I think the IDW writers like messing with the classical characters to replace them with their own fan-made ones like Drift. Now he's kinda cool and all but lay off the classical characters. And, I've learned that Transformers Prime is going to be canceled after season 3. Why? Because HASBRO has decided to try and cash in on the wave that's gonna hit when Michael Bay's latest Transformer movie hits theaters. Sheesh. Well, anyway, I've chatted enough right now. Back to the story:**

**Shockwave Rises**

**Lunar Showdown part 1**

"Optimus!" Ratchet's voice called over the intercom. "Come here! Quickly!"

Everyone was caught off guard by the urgency in Ratchet's voice. Did something happen to the others? The group didn't waste any time pondering and quickly hurried back to where Ratchet was, with Optimus, Smokescreen, and Bulkhead taking care not to step on their human charges. Soon they were gathered together, with Ratchet intensely focused on the monitor.

"Ratchet? Is something wrong?" Optimus asked.

"We don't know," Arcee said. "Ratchet looked at the computer screen and started glitching out."

"I was not glitching out, thank you very much," Ratchet growled. He pried his eyes away from the monitor to look at Optimus. "Optimus, we now have another problem. Apparently our scanners have just picked up an Autobot general distress beacon."

Everyone took a moment to digest this information. As usual, Miko was the first to break the silence.

"A new Autobot? SWEET!"

_I'm starting to see why Slag can't stand her,_ Snarl thought to himself at Miko's outburst. Miko then made a face as she realized something.

"I don't see what's the problem. We got another guy to kick some Decepticon butt."

"It's a problem because there's someone in distress, it's unknown, because of our decreased manpower." Ratchet told her.

"Ratchet," Optimus addressed his medic solemnly. "Are you certain?"

Ratchet nodded as he beckoned his leader to the screen. "Without a doubt. This has to be an Autobot distress beacon."

"Are you sure?" Arcee asked, wincing a little as she shifted her leg. "As much as I'd like to welcome a new teammate, I don't want us walking into a Con trap."

"While that is a possibility," Optimus admitted. "We cannot risk a potential ally who may be in danger."

"Man, so many new Autobots," Miko squealed. "Wonder what this guy will be like."

Arcee snorted. "Well, he can't be any worse than these guys." She looked between the Dinobots and Smokescreen. Snarl snorted at her comment while Smokescreen looked confused.

"How come we didn't hear the alarm?" Jack asked.

Ratchet sighed as he looked at his feet guiltily. "I had set the volume on the computers in silence for procedures on Arcee, Bumblebee, and the Dinobots. I don't know how long the beacon has been flashing."

"Do no worry, old friend," Optimus told him. "What matters now is that we must find out if this beacon does belong to a comrade...or an enemy in disguise. Can you pinpoint the location of the beacon?"

Ratchet sighed again, but this time more in frustration. "I have. But you will not believe where it's coming from."

* * *

On Shockwave's ship, the scientist's attention was drawn to his computer alerting that it has received a transmission signal. Curious, Shockwave went over to it. His suspicion grew when he noticed it was a coded transmission. Someone wanted to talk to him privately. And logic pointed to only one bot he could think of.

"It would appear that Starscream is attempting to contact me."

"He must know you're on Earth," Ratbat figured. "And let me guess: He's gonna try and partner up with you to take down Megatron, isn't he?"

"That would be the most logical motive, coming from Starscream," Shockwave concurred. "He was always an opportunist in gaining power for himself. Weapons, allies, anything that he could and would use to his own advantage."

"Hmm. I sincerely doubt this a trap. Starscream's probably been scrounging around ever since he got kicked out of the Decepticons." Ratbat chuckled. "The great Air Commander, reduced to a mere scavenger. Pathetic."

"You are no position to talk, Ratbat."

Ratbat hissed angrily at Shockwave's reminder of his own condition. Oh, he was going to enjoy feasting on Megatron and Soundwave's fuel. "So what are you going to do, Shockwave? Humor him? Or will you tell Megatron where he is located?"

"I will hold off reporting to Megatron for the moment," Shockwave replied. "I am curious as to what Starscream hopes to accomplish by contacting me. If Starscream has useful information to offer, then he might be useful. If not..." He needn't finish his sentence. Ratbat chuckled.

"This is the perfect time to get the Apex Armor," Ratbat realized. "With that in our possession, no Autobot stands a chance against us."

"Indeed, there is a possibility Starscream will have the armor when I encounter him. I shall go and prepare accordingly." Shockwave was about to leave when he paused. "How is Astrotrain's progress coming along?"

"Not as good as we'd like," Ratbat snorted. "But given the conditions, it's to be expected."

"There was a 72% likelihood of delays for Astrotrain's task. His material shipments are very few for security reasons," Shockwave replied. "But the task will not be impossible. The Autobots are completely unaware of what I am planning and by the time they do, it shall be far too late."

* * *

In the Autobot base, everyone was practically gaping after Ratchet told them where the signal was coming from.

Jack shook his head. "Wait, wait a minute. The signal's coming from where?"

Ratchet expected everyone to disbelieve his news but it still irritated him all the same.

"The Autobot signal is coming from the moon."

"The moon?" Miko asked. "An Autobot is on the moon? Awesome!"

"But how did they get there?" Raf asked.

"Must've been shot down during a battle with the Cons," Snarl figured.

"But...how are you guys going to get there?" Jack asked. "I mean sure there was that one time you made it into space but..."

"We may have no other choice," Ratchet told the boy. "Even if Swoop was in flying condition and capable of traveling in space, he wouldn't be enough to get a fellow Autobot and bring them back."

"What about Agent Fowler?" Raf asked.

"I don't think he'd be able to arrange a sudden trip to the moon," Arcee spoke up. "Plus the Cons would probably figure out something's up."

"Great," Jack groaned. "So, we're gonna try the ground bridge into space thing again?"

"We have no other option," Optimus admitted.

"Hopefully the Energon Grimlock managed to hoard can boost the ground bridge's power," Ratchet theorized. "Hopefully."

"Either way, we're gonna need to save that Bot before the Cons get to him," said Bulkhead.

"So, I'm assuming you'll be volunteering on this mission, Bulkhead?" Optimus asked.

Bulkhead nodded. "Fellow Bot could be in trouble."

"I'd like to come along too," Smokescreen offered.

Optimus looked at both of them and nodded. "Ratchet, you may need to accompany them. We do not know if our comrade may be in need of immediate medical attention."

"Understood, Optimus," Ratchet said.

"I've always wanted to moonwalk," said Miko enthusiastically.

"Whoa, Miko," said Bulkhead. "Are you sure about this? This_ is_ the moon we're talking about."

"Yeah, I know that, Bulkhead. That's why I wanna go!" Miko replied.

"I've always wanted to see the lunar surface up close," said Raf.

"And Jack's been to Cybertron! At least let us come to the moon!" said Miko.

"That would not be wise, Miko," Optimus told her. "Space is not a safe place."

"Come on, Optimus," Miko whined. "It's just the moon. What, you think the Cons are gonna be up there collecting moon rocks or something? It was safe for that Armstrong guy wasn't it?"

"That was years ago, Miko." Raf said.

"All I'm saying," Miko argued, "Is that the moon is totally safe. What's the worse that could happen?"

_Famous last words, _Everyone in the room thought to themselves.

"Please, Optimus!" Miko pleaded, even giving him that puppy dog look human girls were known for. It worked on Bulkhead pretty well.

"Miko..." Optimus knew that this had become routine. He was fond of the humans, he truly was, but Miko's constant desire to be at the front of danger was quite the tiresome experience.

"Who knows?" She added. "Something might happen that you'll need some human help with."

Ratchet scoffed. He sincerely doubted that they would require a human's aid in this little mission.

Optimus frowned as he looked at the children then at Jack. Jack was the one who'd risked his life to bring him back when his memories were erased. He really, really didn't want to put the humans in danger but they had proven themselves capable on more than one occasion. Besides, it _was _just the moon after all. And, albeit with great reluctance and hoping that he wasn't making a mistake, Optimus conceded.

"Jack, you will accompany Smokescreen, Ratchet, and Bulkhead to meet with and greet our new Autobot comrade," said Optimus. "But keep your communicators on. At any signs of danger, request an emergency ground bridge, immediately."

Me?" Jack asked.

"WHAT?!" Miko cried. "How come Jack gets to go?"

"We only have one space suit available," Optimus explained.

"Besides, I think the Jack kid's more responsible than you are," Snarl said coldly.

Miko glared at Snarl. Jack on the other hand was surprised that one of the Dinobots thought that way about him. He wasn't sure if it was meant to be a compliment or not but he was gonna take it as one.

Ratchet sighed. "I'll go count how much Energon we can spare."

Arcee grabbed Smokescreen's arm and pulled him aside for a little chat.

"OK, Smokescreen. I'm putting Jack's life in your hands. If anything bad happens to him, I'm holding you responsible," she threatened.

Smokescreen smiled good-naturedly. "Don't worry, Arcee. I won't let anything happen to him."

"You really want Jack to come along, boss bot?" Bulkhead asked Optimus in amazement.

"It is with a heavy spark that I do so," Optimus admitted. "But something tells me that he can be helpful in this endeavor."

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about the Cons showing up. I mean, this new guy's on the moon. What would the Decepticons want on the moon?"

It took a bit of time but Optimus informed Agent Fowler that they had detected one of their own on the moon. Predictably, Agent Fowler discussed what options they had for getting there and admitted that arranging a space travel normally would waste time and possibly alert the Cons. He was a little surprised that Optimus was allowing Jack to come along to the moon but like Bulkhead, he figured that there was nothing of value for the Decepticons on the moon and agreed. It was a bit of a hassle for him to make some time to get to the base but he was able to in in the end. Raf was a bit bummed that he couldn't come along but understood the reasoning. At least he had Bumblebee to keep him company.

"Don't worry, Raf," Jack said as he got ready. "I'll make sure to bring you back some moon rocks."

"Really?" Raf asked excitedly. "Thanks!"

Arcee was still feeling a bit nervous, even if she didn't want to admit it. She and Jack were pretty close and to see him partnered with someone else was...weird. Maybe it was just because it was Smokescreen. The guy was a reckless newbie who was practically asking for something bad to happen. Sure Bulkhead had a habit of breaking things but at least he made an effort to be careful.

Fowler looked over at the Autobot leader. "You sure the Cons won't find the Autobot signal, Prime?"

"The beacon is on a secure line," Optimus reassured. "The Decepticons should not be able to detect it."

"Should isn't as good as can't, Prime," Fowler told him. "I'm all up for having another able bodied member to the team but the location is what worries me."

"Well, the moon's pretty tame in comparison to Cybertron," Jack told him.

"Still..." Fowler said.

"Don't worry, Fowler," Bulkhead said. "Just a simple trip to the moon, check on the new guy, and bring him back. Easy."

"Wonder if you _will_ run into any Decepticons on the moon," Miko said, getting excited by the minute even though she wasn't going. "A moon battle! Totally sci-fi! Oh! Make sure you write something on the moon while you're there!"

"Uh, Miko, I don't know if that's such a good idea," Jack said nervously, imagining all the different things Miko would probably want him to write if she got the chance.

"I shall stay behind in case the Decepticons attempt anything on Earth," Optimus said.

"By yourself?" Arcee asked.

Optimus simply nodded his head. Everyone felt a pretty heavy weight on their shoulders now. Sure he was _Optimus Prime _but still, even he had to have his limits.

"We'll get back as soon as we can," Ratchet assured his leader as he started up the space bridge.

"Arcee and Bumblebee will be under my care till Ratchet comes back," Snarl said.

Ratchet started up the ground bridge. The familiar swirling portal opened before them. Smokescreen and Bulkhead transformed into their alt-modes. Jack hopped into the former.

"Good luck, old friend," Optimus told his medic.

Ratchet nodded and transformed into his ambulance mode before driving off.

"Think they'll be alright?" Arcee asked worriedly.

"One can only hope, Arcee," Optimus replied.

* * *

On the other side of the ground bridge, the three Autobots and Jack found themselves on the moon. Smokescreen opened his car door and Jack cautiously walked out. Sure he might've been on Cybertron but at least that world had better gravity. Almost the instant they had left the space bridge Jack felt himself become extremely light. And it was confirmed the moment he stepped out of Smokescreen. The classical floating in the air before slowly descending down. He turned and found himself gazing at the Earth. He was taken aback by how beautiful the planet looked. And a little intimidated by how big it seemed.

"Optimus, this is Ratchet. We have made it to the moon with no difficulties. So far. We'll start our search now. Keep the channels open."

"So this is the Earth's moon," Smokescreen said as he adjusted himself. "A lot more barren than I imagined."

"I'll say," Bulkhead said, finding himself occupied with how much lighter he felt. "Nothing like the moon bases back at Cybertron." He looked over at Ratchet. "Uh...Doc? You sure we aren't gonna suddenly fly into space or something?"

Jack cringed. That was something that he was kind of afraid of.

Ratchet sighed, fighting the urge to put his face in his hands as he looked at his scanner for the Autobot signal. ""Bul head," He saind in a very exasperated tone, "You obviously haven't been on Cybertron's smallest moon...because it's the exact same gravity as this moon has. This moon's gravity is low enough for us to not be as heavy as we are on Earth, but it's not so low that we do anything like float away."

"As long as we don't get blasted into the air or something," Smokescreen added. Bulkhead and Jack both glared at him. "What?"

"Not helping," Jack and Bulkhead said simultaneously, then looked at each other in surprise.

"I can't believe this," Ratchet groaned. "What am I, your instructor? If you three are done, we need to find the source of this signal," Ratchet said. "According to my scanners, it seems to be coming from over there." The medic started heading off with the others in close pursuit. Jack noticed the direction they heading was engulfed in one big shadow.

"Seems to be coming from the dark side of the moon," Jack said.

"Dark side?" Smokescreen asked.

"When the moon rotates one side is always facing the Earth while the other is always facing away. The side facing away from the Earth is always in darkness since it never reflects any sunlight, hence the name." Jack explained.

"Huh," Smokescreen said. "Cool name though."

* * *

Back at the base, the rest of the team relaxed the moment Ratchet assured them everything was alright.

"They made it," Arcee said in relief.

"I still can't believe Jack got to go," Miko pouted, annoyed that Jack got to go on another off-world trip instead of her.

"Well, you two are checked out," Snarl said after examining Bumblebee. "I patched up any of your damaged parts but you still could use some rest for a bit before going back into action. Jumping in too soon will only make your injuries worse."

"Thanks, Snarl," Arcee said with Bumblebee beeping in agreement. Snarl shrugged and went back to looking at Swoop. Arcee's face softened again. "Is there anything I can do to help him?"

Snarl looked at Arcee and saw the way she was looking at Swoop. He was sure that if his buddy was conscious, the flyer would be a stuttering mess. Amused somewhat at the thought, Snarl spoke. "While I'd prefer having Ratchet here, I need someone to be able to help me keep Swoop's wing steady while I try to reattach it. From the looks of things, we're gonna have to do a welding procedure. Luckily Swoop's being in shut down mode helps things. Take my advice, you never want to be online during one of those."

Arcee nodded. Anything to help Swoop out.

* * *

Meanwhile, Starscream was waiting for Shockwave to appear. He had scheduled a rendezvous point, not wanting Shockwave to learn about him finding the Harbinger. Starscream was getting impatient. It's not that Shockwave was actually late for their meeting but Starscream's eagerness was once again getting the better of him.

His attention was drawn by the sound of roaring engines. He looked up into the sky and noticed Shockwave, in his all too familiar alt-mode flying, towards him. Starscream scowled, being reminded once again that he was currently unable to fly. Then he noticed something else that was interesting. There was another figure flying alongside Shockwave. It appeared to be some kind of Earth jet with a purple and white color scheme. Starscream knew it obviously had to be a Decepticon. So Shockwave had brought extra forces had he? Which one?

Soon Shockwave and the mysterious jet flew towards him. Shockwave transformed, towering in his robot mode. Ah yes, Starscream remembered how Shockwave had upgraded his body after one particularly nasty encounter with Grimlock. The same incident that caused Shockwave to replace his arm with the powerful cannon he now wielded. Starscream considered rubbing it in Shockwave's face the fact that he had managed to trash Grimlock's entire team where Shockwave couldn't. The jet transformed into a new robot that Starscream knew all too well.

"Ah, Blitzwing," he greeted. "It has been quite some time since we last saw each other."

"Not long enough, you pile of scrap," Blitzwing snorted.

Starscream ignored him and faced Shockwave instead. "I am grateful that you took the time to see me, Shockwave. Though I didn't expect you to bring some reinforcements."

"The chances of you attempting to attack me were a mere 65%," Shockwave said. "But you never fight fair, Starscream. Having some assistance was only logical."

"Yes, you always did follow what you believed to be logical, Shockwave," Starscream noted.

"Yeah, while you always believe you are right despite making yourself look like an idiot all the time," Blitzwing sneered.

Starscream growled at the insult.

"Calm yourself, Blitzwing," Shockwave chided him. "Starscream has made considerable effort in attempts to contact me without Megatron's knowledge. I do hope that your reasons are substantial."

Starscream smiled. This was all working in his favor. He pulled a data disk from behind his back. "All the answers you need, Shockwave, are on this disk. They contain evidence of the great Megatron's more..._questionable _endeavors."

Shockwave focused his gaze at the disk.

"Probably just a bunch of junk," Blitzwing snorted. "Starscream'll do anything to kiss up to his betters."

"Silence, triple changer!" Starscream barked. "This is between me and Shockwave."

"What are you gonna do?" Blitzwing challenged. "You could never fight your own battles, you coward!"

"Enough, Blitzwing!" Shockwave ordered. He looked back at the disk. "It would be illogical for me to immediately trust you, Starscream. Though I am quite curious you could possibly possess to turn against Megatron." Starscream faked a look of surprise. "Do not try to fool me, Starscream. While some of your actions are unpredictable, your goal has always been the same."

Starscream scowled despite himself. Shockwave's ability to predict one's actions was often quite frustrating. "I can assure you, Shockwave, once you see what is on that disk, you shall agree with me about Megatron."

* * *

Back on the moon, the three Autobots had transformed into their car modes again and were driving off to the moon's dark side. Jack couldn't help but enjoy the awesomeness that he was actually driving on the moon. Okay, Smokescreen was doing the actual driving but hey, all the same really. Still, it an,did feel a lot different from riding with Arcee. And not just the fact that Smokescreen was a car and Arcee was a motorcycle. It was just so strange...maybe he was just missing her, that was all.

"Now this _is _dark," Smokescreen commented. He and the other Autobots were forced to rely on their headlights to see through the dark of the moon. The light from the distant stars wasn't quite enough to illuminate the vast darkness of their surroundings. It was so dark that Jack was sure that without any light, he wouldn't be able to see his own hand in front of his face.

"The signal is becoming stronger. We should be getting closer," Ratchet told the others.

"Who do you think it could be?" Jack asked aloud. The communications channel was open among the group.

"Wouldn't mind if it was another Wrecker," Bulkhead said eagerly. "Been a while since I've seen the gang."

"I've heard of the Wreckers," Smokescreen said. "They were some of the best heavy hitters alongside the Dinobots."

Ratchet on the other hand was less enthusiastic. Bulkhead and Wheeljack were a handful enough without a third Wrecker thrown into the mix.

"There!" Ratchet sped off in the direction of the signal, with the other two Autobots quickly following him. Bulkhead's alt-mode was actually ideal for handling the moon's rough terrain. Smokescreen, whose alt-mode was meant for speed, had to watch himself, lest he wind up driving into one of the moon's craters. And with how dark this side was...it was a possibility.

Soon Ratchet came to a stop, transforming back into his alt-mode. The other two stopped and transformed, Smokescreen waiting until Jack got out before doing so. The three Autobots activated light features on their arms while Jack activated his suit's light.

"From what my scanners show, the signal is coming from right over..."

Before them stood a large crater. They could tell from their lights illuminating the rim. One more step and they would've fallen in. This crater obviously stood out from the rest the moon had. At least from what they could see.

"This must've been the crash site," Bulkhead said. "I can't tell how big it is but," he spotted a part of the rim not too far in front of him. "Must've been some crash."

"I hope this Autobot is alright," Jack said.

Cautiously, the darkness making them quite wary, the four descended. It was rather easy, given the moon's low gravity and they soon touched the bottom of the crater.

"I really hope this doesn't turn out to be a Decepticon ambush," Jack muttered, looking around as if expecting some Insecticons or so to just suddenly spring out of nowhere.

"You and me both, Jack," Bulkhead admitted. He loved a good fight, yeah, but all this darkness was giving him the creeps.

"The signal is coming from just up ahead," Ratchet told the group.

And then they saw it. A ship or maybe a jet of some kind. Bigger than Starscream or Soundwave's jet modes at least. Obviously Cybertronian. Besides, how else could a jet...thing get all the way to the moon? Ratchet went over to it.

"Is this him?" Smokescreen asked.

"Yes," Ratchet said as he examined the ship. He spotted the Autobot insignia. His scanners showing that the signal was coming from this ship was obvious enough.

"So...is he inside the ship or is he the ship?" Jack asked, not able to tell the difference.

"It's an Aerialbot," Ratchet explained. "I've patched them up enough times back on Cybertron to recognize the structure."

"Anyone you know personally?" Jack asked.

"I'm unable to tell at the moment," Ratchet said.

"He seems pretty banged up," Bulkhead said.

"On the other hand, we got another flyer," Smokescreen pointed out. "That'll help us big time."

"Only once we've got him back online," said Ratchet.

"Is he in stasis lock or something, Doc-Bot?" Smokescreen asked.

Bulkhead answered, "He's either in stasis lock or just powered down."

Jack asked, "Is there anyway to get him out of it?"

Ratchet answered, "Not until we get him back to the lab; with the tools I need to get him back online."

Just then Bulkhead shifted. Jack noticed. "Something up, Bulkhead?"

"I thought I saw something."

Ratchet and Smokescreen both looked at the Wrecker. "Saw what?" Smokescreen asked. "There's darkness everywhere."

Bulkhead started walking a little distance ahead of the group.

"Where are you going?" Ratchet asked.

Bulkhead's steady walk started to pick up pace. And soon it actually broke out into running. Due to Bulkhead's...bulk, it was quite a surprise to see him move so fast. Smokescreen and Jack pursued him.

"Where are you all going?" Ratchet asked. "Get back here!" Snarling with anger, Ratchet knelt down and went back to examining the Aerialbot, particularly his armor. "I'm surprised at how well he's sustained his damage. The impact of the crash should have caused a lot more than this." He did a scan. "Stasis locked but still functional. To be honest, I'm surprised that he's even functional at all." Then he spotted some out of the corner of his optics. "What's this?" He got a closer look. It seemed something was wedged in some cracks of the armor. He reached out and slightly opened the cracks. He frowned. "It seems I've found the problem."

Lodged in the crack of the armor was none other than a shard of dark Energon.

Bulkhead's voice on his communicator caught his attention. And Bulkhead sounded really, really panicked. "...oh, scrap. Uh, Ratchet, I think you might wanna see this."

Ratchet groaned. "Oh, what did you break now, Bulkhead?" he muttered as he stood back up. "What _could _you break?" Transforming into his ambulance mode, Ratchet sped off to wherever it was Bulkhead, Smokescreen, and Jack had gone to. He managed to make out the lights of the latter two and quickly transformed. In this darkness, he didn't want to risk stepping on Jack.

"Bulkhead, we have a situation regarding our fellow Autobot and I don't have time for..." But the words died the moment he saw what the other three were looking at. What he was seeing before his eyes was a base and it was obvious from the insignia who it belonged to.

"No way," Jack felt his knees get weak. "The Decepticons are on the moon?!"

* * *

Sure enough, the Decepticons were in the process of setting a moon base. Overlooking everything...was Astrotrain.

Astrotrain was standing next to a pair of Vehicon's looking at a manifest.

"I don't care about construction delays. Even if you can't get the right material from Earth for construction purposes Shockwave wants this Energon storehouse finished quickly. If you can't finish the building on time then dig a cave. We can secure our shipments in until you guys finish construction."

One of the Vehicons spoke timidly, "But a cave would take longer to shape correctly to serve as a bunker. We have a shortage of metal to use as supports as well to construct the frame of our warehouse."

That caused Astrotrain to pause for a bit, trying to think of a response. Eventually, he caved. "Okay, fine. I'll make a call and..."

But he was interrupted by another Vehicon, "Astrotrain! One of our patrols just found an Autobot group just outside this base's perimeter!"

Taken aback by the news of Autobots on the moon, Astrotrain soon gave a wicked sneer, "Finally. I'm not good at all with this management work but this is something I _am _good at. Let's smash some Autobot heads!"

* * *

With the small group...

"Optimus!" Ratchet called into his communicator. "We have a situation here! We found where the signal was coming from, an Aerialbot, though I am currently unable to identify him. But we have also discovered something. The Decepticons seemed to have set up some sort of base of operations on the moon!"

In the base, the Autobots were all shocked.

"The Decepticons are trying to take over the moon?" Miko asked in confusion.

"Who would've thought to look for Decepticon activity off-world?" Arcee pointed out.

Optimus frowned. "This is most likely Shockwave's doing."

"Must have decided to expand," Snarl said. He had been preparing for the surgery on Swoop when Ratchet contacted them. "We've fought that guy enough cycles to know the way he thinks."

Optimus said nothing for a moment. "How is our comrade?"

"In stasis lock," Ratchet said grimly. "And what's worse, I found a shard of dark Energon in him."

Everyone was really worried now.

"Dark Energon?" Snarl asked. "I thought that stuff was just a myth."

"It is very real, Snarl," Optimus told him, "And very dangerous."

"So far the Dark Energon has not seemed to have affected him," Ratchet informed. "But I need to find a way to remove the shard before it does."

"Are you able to at least move him?" Optimus asked.

"Yes but it will require utmost care. We will have to attempt transporting him without the Decepticons being alerted to our presence."

As Ratchet said this, Jack spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see something in the sky. A space shuttle. He panicked. A space shuttle? He hoped the darkness here would hide him and the Autobots. They couldn't afford to be seen. Or worse, what if the shuttle was spotted by the Cons?

But Jack noticed something else. The shuttle seemed to be...heading right towards them? Then his eyes widened when he saw gun ports pop out. Gun ports? Shuttles don't have gun ports!

"Incoming!" He shouted. The Autobots looked up in time to see the shuttle firing at them! Quickly, they scatted to avoid the blasts. The shuttle flew overhead. The Autobots wondered what it was doing when the shuttle opened and Vehicons started pouring out of it.

"This is bad," Jack muttered. "Very bad."

"I don't know how you Autobots found out about our base," A voice from the shuttle said, "But it's the end of the line!" The shuttle suddenly transformed into a towering robot that landed next to the Vehicons. Jack couldn't believe it. The shuttle was a Decepticon. And a huge one at that!

"I recognize you," Bulkhead growled. "Astrotrain. Was hoping never to see your ugly mug again."

Astrotrain laughed. "Bulkhead. Had a little run-in with your buddy Wheeljack a while back. I'm going to enjoy this!"

Astrotrain and his minions started firing at the Autobots and human.

"Take cover!" Bulkhead cried.

"No need to tell me!" Smokescreen shouted back, quickly scooping Jack up in his arms to help him get away. The group dove into one of the moon's larger craters for cover.

"Typical," Ratchet said dryly.

**To Be Continued**

**I know you guys probably hate me for leaving it on a cliffhanger like this. But I can assure you there will be plenty of action in the next chapter. I've introduced Astrotrain and Blitzwing into the fray and now you've seen the new Autobot. Can you guess who it is?**

**By the way, I have a story challenge for anyone who is interested. A Transformers/Walking Dead crossover. Optimus Prime struggles to help humanity recover from the zombie plague while dealing with both the Walkers and the Decepticons. I hope somebody would like to take this challenge. I couldn't pull it off but I wouldn't mind reading it.**

**Also, something else. I am not gonna lie. I am a huge fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I don't know if i would consider myself a brony but I do like the show. I have read several different MLP/TF crossovers and I hope to make my own in the future taking place some time after Twilight became an alicorn. And starring who else? The Dinobots! But I have two different versions for the story. Version 1 deals with Twilight and Grimlock having to work together after the latter finds himself in Equestria while Version 2 deals with Princess Twilight having to undergo a "Dinobot Hunt" with Swoop to round up Slag, Sludge, and Snarl, who have been scattered across Equestria.**


	3. AN: Exams are over! (Do not review)

**A/N: Exams are Over! (Do Not Review)**

Well, everyone. My exams are over and summer is here! You know what that means? I can finally get back to working on my stories again!

I do have a summer course but it's online so that should not be a problem. My main concern is my job at Taco Bell trying to get as much hours as they can out of me with school out of the way. But enough about that; as long as I have time on my hands I will do the best I can to finally update again. Since I made plenty of headway in my Bleach: Omniverse story, I'm going to focus on my other main two: Transformers Prime: Shockwave Rises and Bleach: Ultimate Alien! P.S. I have some story challenges on my profile for anyone who'd be interested.

When I upload the actual chapter to the story, I am going to replace this A/N with it so I highly recommend that you do not review this chapter until then.

I'm also going to use this opportunity to make something perfectly clear. From now on, any review even remotely close to a flame is going to be dealt with. I don't mind constructive criticism and impatience but these are MY stories. And I'm not taking crap from anyone anymore.

Well, everyone. See you all in the next update!


	4. This story is going to be remade

**A/N: The story is going to be remade.**

**Hello, everyone. I have some news. I am thinking about restarting Dawn of the Dinobots and, in turn, Shockwave Rises.**

**I know that you guys like the story and I'm glad you do. But I can't help but notice all the flaws and screw-ups in the story and its sequel Shockwave Rises. I mainly blame myself for not thinking things through and also starting the story before Fall of Cybertron and the new seasons of Transformers Prime came out. This led me to make assumptions about what would happen in TF: Prime and what the Dinobots were like. Not to mention the comics Rage of the Dinobots and Beast Hunters, where Sludge is actually smarter than his G1 counterpart and the other Dinobots are pretty reasonable guys when not in battle. I think my issue is that I tried to make the story too close to G1 instead of being more open-minded. By restarting the story, I can make serious improvements where I screwed up. And I won't deny there were plenty of places I screwed up. I can make a better plot, better character development, better interactions with each other; the list could probably go on and on. This is my chance to do it right and hopefully I can shape the story into something you guys will like even more than the original.**

**I'll still leave the original one up if you want me to.**


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